The deadline has come and gone on the ability for the St. Louis Cardinals to sign star slugger Albert Pujols to an extension. The Cardinals will have roughly two weeks of exclusive negotiability with Pujols after the World Series, but chances are all bets are off as Pujols will be looking to cash in. Pujols has already stated that he will actively using the veto power he has from his 10/5 rights to block any possible trades. More on where he could end up after the jump.
Right now there are 30 teams that Albert Pujols could end up with in the long term. I highly doubt that teams like the Pirates, Marlins, Astros, Royals, Twins, Mariners, Mets, Braves, Indians, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Padres, Athletics, Tigers, White Sox, Rays, Reds, Brewers, and Giants would be willing to make the commitment to Pujols.
That brings us down to 11 teams. If Pujols stays true to his word about vetoing any possible deal, rule out the Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees. Those three teams all could afford Pujols’ salary, but all three already have, or in the Red Sox case will have, big investments in 1B as it is. Signing Pujols would severely diminish any trade value that those three would have and even thought the American League teams have the position availability of the DH, neither one of those teams SHOULD have any interest in paying that kind of money in a part time 1B/part time DH.
That leaves us with 8 teams. I have a hard time believing that if the Cardinals wouldn’t cave now about Pujol’s demands, that they’d be more incline to do it in the off season. So scratch them off the list too. The Blue Jays couldbe a player in the Pujols sweepstakes, but would they.
That leaves us with 6 options in my estimation: the Dodgers, Angels, Cubs, Rangers, Nationals, and Orioles. The Nationals and the Orioles both have financial ability to sign Pujols, but do they have the ability to draw in the superstars. A strong season by either team could help. The Dodgers may have trouble financially depending on how long the McCourt divorce plays out. Barring a breakout year by Mitch Moreland, the Rangers new TV revenue may make the Rangers a definite possibility. If memory serves me, the Angels haven’t made a splash in free agency since signing Torii Hunter. If the Cubs were to go after and sign Pujols it would be as big a coup in the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry as the Yanks swooping in and stealing Alex Rodriguez out from underneath the Red Sox.
In my estimation, if Pujols hits free agency, the two teams that make the most sense in going after Pujols would be the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers with the Rangers getting the slight edge. The Rangers get the slight edge due to their ability to convert Pujols to the DH position in the latter years of his contract.
Tags: Albert Pujols
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